2 Verbs
Kanyen’keha (the Mohawk language) is verb-based, like other Hodinohsó:ni languages, indicating that life is always in motion. Every word has a root word which are verbs that must be attached to the most appropriate prefix (red, blue, or purple). For example, to say I love him, I would say rinoronhkhwa. Ri- indicates ‘me to him’ and –nó:ronhkwe is the root word for love. The list below is just a brief number of verbs to describe our lives used in conjunction with pronoun prefixes and other language components indicating past, present or future tense.
to like (object) | a-__-nòn:we’ne |
to be called | a-__-iátsheke |
to know (a fact) | a-__-tó:ken’se |
to know (be familiar with) | a-__-ientéhrha’ne |
to be married | a-__-niake |
to have children | a-__-wiraién:ta’ne |
to be working | a-__-ió’ten |
to love | a-__-nó:ronhkwe |
be somewhere | kak nón:we a-__-:sheke |
be going | a-__-e |
to have something | a-__-ién:take |
to like the taste of | a-__-é:ka’we |
to be walking | a-__-htén:ti |
to be elder/adult | aonta-__-ién:ta’ne |
to be a child | eksà:’a a-__-:ton |
to be a person | ón:kwe a-__-:ton |
to be saying | a-__-:ron |
to write | a-__-hiá:ton |
tell about | a-__-thrória’te |
ask | a-__-rihwanón:ton |
ask about | a-__-rihwanón:ton |
tell (someone) | a-__-hró:ri |
be similar, look alike | taons-___-tierénhake |
be different, be dissimilar | ta-__ttihénhake |
to read | a-__-wennahnó:ton |
to be sick | a-__-nonhwákten |
be an age | …naonta-__-ién:take |
be about | aktóntie a-__-:sheke |
be passed away | a-__-tohetstónhake |
be dead | a-__-heiónhake |
be alive | a-__-ónhnheke |
be a non-Indigenous (White) person | a-__-tientatshónhake |
be an Indigenous person | a-__-onkwehonwéhake |
be one’s last name | ta-__-hsennà:serake |
be # of years old | # ta-__-ohseriia’kónhake |
have as a surname | ta-__-hsennà:serake |
to have grandchildren | a-__-terè:shen |
to have children (idiomatic) | a-__-wiraién:ta’ne |
to hate it | a-__-swen |
to be mother to | ontate’nisténha a-__-:ton |
to be father to | ontate’níha a-__-:ton |
to be child of | ontatièn:’a a-__-:ton |
to be grandchild of | ontaterè:’a a-__-:ton |
to be grandparent to | ontatshótha a-__-:ton |
to be uncle to | ontatenonhà:’a a-__-:ton |
to be aunt to | ontate’nisténha a-__-:ton |
to be younger sibling to | ontate’kèn:’a a-__-:ton |
to be older sibling to | ontathtsì:’a a-__-:ton |
to be siblings | kiatate’kèn:’a a-__-:ton |
to be cousins | onara’sè:’a a-__-:ton |
to be friends, be bf/gf | atenrò:sera a-__-:ton, káskare a-__-:ton |
be good friends/Indian friends | watenro’serí:ios a-__-:ton |
be related/relatives | ontátenonhkwe a-__-:ton |
in a relationship with someone | a-__-terihwísa |
to be divorced or separated | ta-__-tekháhsi |
to be engaged | a-__-terihwahserón:ni |
to be single | a-__-nonhsanónhnhake |
to be young | ken’ naonta-__-ién:take |
to be learning | a-__-teweiénsthake |
to be teaching | a-__-rihonnienníhake |
to watch television | tká:ra’s a-__-terò:roke |
to be eating | ta-__-tskà:hon |
to be thirsty | a-__-nia’tatshénsheke |
to be drinking | a-__-hnekihrénhake |
to wake up | a-__-ie |
to get dressed | a-__-thserón:ni |
answer, reply | ta-__-rihwa’será:ko |
begin (to do s.t.) | aonta-__-táhsawen |
cook | -khón:ni |
defecate | -ní’taien |
do something | ok na-__-ier |
eat a meal | te-__-tskà:hon |
get up | -tkétsko, te-__-ta’n |
happen | ok tha-__-tié:ren |
help (physically) | -ié:nawa’s |
help (supportive) | -ia’takéhnha |
hide | -táhseht |
listen | -tahónhsatat |
look | -tkáhtho |
open | -hnhotón:ko, -nontéksi, -te-__-tá:kwariht |
prepare | -weiennén:ta’n |
rain | -kennó:ron |
rest | -toríhsen |
say | -:ron |
sleep | -:ta’wh |
snow | -nieht |
study | -téweienst |
put away | -teweièn:ton |
tidy | te-__-ohtáhrho |
get tired | te-__-hwihsénheie |
understand | -‘nikonhraién:ta’n |
urinate | -nistiá:ke |
wake up | -ie |
wash s.t. | -nóhare |
wash oneself | -tia’tóhare |
watch | -terò:rok |
work | -ió’ten |
borrow | -tén:ni |
lend | -:ni |
buy | -hní:non |
buy for s.o. | -hní:non’s |
buy from s.o. | -hní:non |
get/obtain | -ko, -ié:na |
go get | -kóha |
give | -ion |
lend | -ni |
sell | -tenhní:non |
sell to | -tenhní:non’s |
steal | -nénsko |
trade, switch | te-__-tá:ton |
be big | a-__-kowanénhake |
be cheap, inexpensive | a-__-tiesénhake |
be dark in colour | a-__-hsohkwahon’tsíhake |
be dirty, soiled | ta-__-‘tsón:take |
be dry | a-__-stathénhake |
be expensive | a-__-norónhake |
be hard | a-__-hnirónhake |
be heavy | a-__-ksteke |
have a hole | a-__-kahrón:take |
be light in colour | a-__-hsohkwara’kénhake |
be long | a-__-ónsheke |
be bad, evil | a-__-hetkénhake |
be short | ken’ na-__-onsháhake |
stink | a-__-kera’ne |
be soft | a-__-‘nhétska’ne |
be ugly | a-__-hetkénhake |
be wet | a-__-na’nawénhake |
eat s.t. | a-__-ke |
make soup | a-__-tkátston |
make a bread product | a-__-na’tarón:ni |
get full | a-__-hta’ne |
be good or proficient at | a-__-weientehtónhake |
small | ken’ ni-__-à:’a |
afraid | -tshà:nis |
angry | -na’khwèn:’on |
annoyed | -hkará:rens |
awake | -iè:’on |
big | -kowá:nen |
body type, looks | tsi ni-__-ia’tò:ten |
busy | te-__-weienhnharà:’on |
cold | -wístos |
concerned, worried | te-__-tate’nikónhrhare |
content | -erien’tí:ios |
crazy | te-__-nonhwarawén:rie |
crying | te-__-shénthos |
dark-skinned | -hnahòn:tsi |
depressed | -‘nikonhrèn:ton |
drunk | -nonhwarahtòn:’on |
enjoy | -on’wéskwani |
famous | -hsennowá:nen |
fat | -re’sen |
funny | -ia’tasté:ris |
good-looking | -onkwe’tí:io |
good person | -onkwe’tí:io, t-__-rihwaié:ri |
happy | -tshennón:ni, -tonhnháhere |
heavy | -ia’tákste |
hot | -‘tarihèn:’on |
hungry | -tonhkária’ks |
intelligent | -ttókha |
jealous | -‘nóshas, -ten’kéwhen |
lazy | -entóhrha |
light-skinned | -hnarà:ken |
lonely | -entón:nis |
lucky | -tera’swí:io |
cross, nasty, mean | -hétken |
need | te-__-tonhwentsó:ni |
poor | -:ten |
pregnant | -wirahninòn:re |
ready, prepared | -tateweiennentà:’on |
rich | -hwistowá:nen |
sad | -‘nikonhráksens |
short | ken’ ni-__-hneniésha |
shy | -tshé:iaron |
sick | -nonhwáktani |
sleepy | -serénhtara’s |
smiling, laughing | -iéshon |
strong | -‘nikonhkátste, -‘shátste, te-__-hwi’shátste |
stubborn, determined | -nontsistahní:ron |
surprised | -nehrakò:’on |
talking | -hthare |
tall | -hnén:ies |
skinny | -tí:wen |
thirsty | -nia’táthens |
thrilled, ecstatic | -‘nikonhrinekèn:’on |
have time | -náktote |
tired | te-__-hwihsenhé:ion |
ugly, homely | -hétken |
unlucky | -tera’swáksen |
well, healthy | -kwátshe |
waiting | -hrhá:re, te-__-nèn:raien |
weak, sickly | -tsì:ios, -tsi’ióhtare |
working | -ió’te |
spread out, spread around | te-__-renia’tonhátie |
setting | -héhrha |
in | -a |
in (liquid or abstract), be part of | -o, -re |
standing (of an object) | -:niote |
hanging over | -hren’tónhkhwa |
hanging down, suspended | -háhrha |
inserted, wedged in | te-__-hsiharáhtha |
standing (animate) | -te |
sitting (animate) | -tskote |
lying down (animate) | -ia’tión:ni |
in (animate) | -ià:ti |
break (apart, into pieces) | te-__-kháhsions, te-__-hrihtánions |
hear | -thón:te, -hrón:kas |
listen | -tahónhsate |
listen to s.o. | -wennaráhkhwa, -hónhsate |
obey, listen to | -tewennaráhkhwa |
do (with or to s.t.) | tsi ni-__-iéhrha |
insert, wedge into | -ò:roks |
leave behind, let go | -ties |
put s.t. in s.t. | -éta’as |
put up onto s.t. | -héhrha |
set down | -:iens |
stand up an object | te-__-tástha, -hniótha |
bite | -tekhwákwas |
sniff | -teswáhtha |
bleed | -nekhwà:’on |
hit (tap, strike) | -hwà:’e |
touch | ken’ nie-__-iéhrha |
grab | -ié:nas |
rub | -rakén:rie |
scratch | -tké:ton |
sore | -hkará:rens |
itchy | -rónhkwani |
injured | -karewáhton |